PANDORA WANG
III. RESEARCH & CONTEXTS - ARTICULATION (Q5) [research angle: art, literature, films]
1. Related Artists and Practices
At the beginning of the project, ​I had no idea what the final artwork should be like, nor did I had any experience in developing artworks to address something so intangible. I had only a vague idea of the key aspects the project should entail:
1) Starting with the obvious, in order to reflect the change through time, it would be a time series;
2) Regardless of the subject, a continuous record / documentation must be developed and kept to track the evolvement of mind state/emotions;
3) Although the project is originated from my personal experiences, it is aimed to address common human emotions through the phase of transition. There is a crucial need to use personal experience/observations as reference while avoid turning the project into a personal biography, or in other words, individuality must be eliminated whereas appropriate. Further to this point, the need to record daily life of those who are going through transitions determines that I could only observe myself and David, and such close personal ties, I would be inevitably biased toward the participant, which requires ongoing review and assessment;
4) There is a need to develop a system (most likely rigid) or framework to track the changes in life, therefore the need to engage in the quest within quest - a possible clinical research to track the routines, mood changes in order to analyse and compare;
5) There is a need to thread the potential work together with a narrative.
Based on the list above and suggested by tutors, I have referred to artists whose practices address intimacy and the concept of time such as Felix Gonzalez Torres, On Kawara; studied the system design of On Kawara, Sophie Calle and Tehching Hsieh; explored multimedia approaches through the works of Helen Cammock; referred to Sophie Calle and Carrie Mae Weems for narratives; gained inspirations from Robert Therrien on the use of readymades and scales.
2. Artists of Great Influences
1) On Kawara
Kawara's first date painting was created on January 4, 1966. Since then Kawara has continued the project for 48 years, created nearly 3,000 date paintings (the Today series). The Today paintings came in 8 standard sizes (from 8x10 inches to 61x89 inches) and three main colours (grey, red and blue). The dates were painted in different language and order, depending on the city it was painted in. It was said that Kawara would start a painting then finish it on the day. If he could't finish the painting on that very day, he would then destroy it.
(Weiss, 2015) From here, the adoption of a pre-defined framework with a set of rigid protocols has become the modus operandi that sustained Kawara's work.
Today, 1966–2013. Acrylic on canvas. 18 x 24 in. (45.7 x 61 cm)
While celebrated as one of the most influential conceptual artist, Kawara among all things is also a painter. A painted who made a conscious choice to use his art to translate the passage of time. The same logic was applied in making each painting. Kawara would start by making his own colours, there were no identical colours in the series. Kawara would then paint the background, layer after layer. At last he would paint the dates in white, with an almost actuarial precision. (Weiss, 2015) The process was slow and refrained, and had become a ritual with repetition. More to it, it was Kawara's relentless commitment to his practice and methodology that wrenches the hearts of the viewers - the commitment of repeating the same ritual throughout decades or a lifetime. After 48 years, the way of making has become almost a way of living, the life and the art has become inseparable. And nothing is more powerful to visualise the passage of time by actually living it and revealing it.
On Kawara: Date Paintings, Guggenheim Museum, 2015
Date Paintings - process
Date Paintings - background colour
Similarly in 100 years calendar, starting from his own date of birth, Kawara systematically marked down 24,698 days. Each day of his life was registered as a yellow dot, days when he completed a painting were marked with a green dot, and the days he completed a date painting were marked with a black dot. Then we have the artist's of a lifetime revealed in a single image. The idea of summarising one's entire life down to one piece of paper was almost ruthless, and yet the result could not be more poetic. As if you could see the artist registering a dot each day in front of the calendar, day after day. The act itself was mechanic, but the final product of the repetition was sentimental, it was a proof of living.
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24,698 Days (100 Years Calendar), 2000
24,698 Days (100 Years Calendar), details, 2000